Gay High School Gets Sued
The planned lawsuit against the gay high school in NYC is now official. But according to some legal experts, separating students based on sexual orientation is legal. Steven Goldberg, a professor of education law at Arcadia University, said that a state government's obligation to provide a public education doesn't prohibit it from implementing group-specific education. "Because blacks are protected under the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment, to single black students out — even for their own benefit — is clearly unconstitutional," Goldberg said. On the other hand, Goldberg said, separating gay students can be legally justified in the same way that special-education classes, gifted classes and before-school prayer groups are justified. "Ironically, because [gays] don’t have equal protection under the Constitution, there's nothing wrong [with] segregating them legally, particularly if they're doing it voluntarily," Goldberg said.
If that is correct under existing law - you can segregate gays but not blacks - I'd expect that law will get changed as a result of this lawsuit.
If that is correct under existing law - you can segregate gays but not blacks - I'd expect that law will get changed as a result of this lawsuit.
# | August 19, 2003
